Combined harvester.



B. HOLT.

UOMBINBD HA'BVEBTEH.

urmou'lou mum 11120.24, 1000.

952,330. Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

B. HOLT.

COMBINED HABVESTEB.

APPLICATION FILED 1130.24, 1908.

Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

BENJAMIN HOLT, OF STOUKTON, CALIFORNIA.

cornmtnn HARVESTER.

Application filed December 24, 190B.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

Serial No. 469,044.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN HOLT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in CombinedHarvesters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to combined harvesters and pertains particularlyto that class of harvesters which are self-propelled.

It is one of the purposes of this invention to provide a simple,combined harvester and thresher, embodying a traction and propellingmember, which is particularly effective by reason of the largecontacting surface it presents, and means by which said traction memberis yieldingly mounted upon the main frame of the harvester; and Whilepriinaril the invention provides an improved combined harvester forlevel ground work, it also com rehends means whereby the machine may eadapted to be successfully operated upon slightly hilly or rollingground.

My invention consists of the elements, and the construction andcombination of elements as set forth in the acconi anying specificationand drawings, in whic Figure 1 is a plan view of the harvester, with thehousing removed. Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional View, showing the meansfor adjustin the bearing-wheel. Fig. 3 is a side View the device. Fig. 4is a representation of the end of the machine.

In the embodiment of my invention as shown in the accom anyingdrawings,] a main frame 2 is provi ed, upon the forward end of which ismounted a suitable motor 3, and also carrying suitable steering 1nechanism 4 for controlling thesteering-wheels 5.

The engine-shaft 6 projects sufficiently beyond one side of the mainframe to carry a suitable fly-wheel 7 and bevel-gear 8, which gear isadapted to mesh with a similar gear 9 for the purpose of transmittingpower to the longitudinally disposed shaft 10. A suitable clutch -11adaptable to reverse or disconnect the shaft is shown mounted proximatethe gears 8-9. A' beft 12 is passed over the fl -wheel 7, runningrearwardly around an driving a ulley 13 secured upon the shaft 14 whiecarries the usual cylinder 15. Splined upon the rear end of the shaftlO'are inions 16 and 17 adapted to mesh with and drive the mastergear 18keyed upon the transverse shaft 19.

The shaft 19 carries the sprocket-pinion 20 over which runs asprocket-chain 21 for the purpose of transmitting power to the crossshaft 22 by engaging the sprocket 23 secured on the shaft. Upon theouter end of the shaft 22 is mounted a s rocket-wheel 24 over whichtravels a flexi le endless traction platform or chain 25. This chainpasses forward from the sprocket 24 over a loose direction pulley 26from which" it travels rearwardly in engagement with the ground, and issupported upon the bearing-rollers 27, which are journalcd in a suitableframe 28.

Harvesters of this character are usually quite long, and thesteeringwheel, such as 5, is located at such a distance from thetraction members that if some resilient connection or mounting for suchtraction members were not provided, the proper operation of theseparator mechanism would be seriously interfered with; therefore I haveshown the frames 28 as pivoted at 29, near its rear end, to a projectingcross frame 30 of the main frame 2.

The forward ends of the frames 28 are connected by a short transversebeam 31 which has mounted upon it in line over the frames 28, suitableresilient members 32, such for instance as the coiled springs. Thesecoiled springs abut against the lower side of a bracket 33 which issecured to the body or main frame 2; thus when the forward end of thetraction member 25 encounters any abrupt obstruction in its rogress thejar, instead of being transmitte to the sill and harvester body, ispartially absorbed by the buffer or cushions 32.

In order to properly support the rollers 27 and the frame 28 from beingtwisted about the pivots 29, I have provided short rack bars 34, hingedat 35 to the beam 31, and the upper end of the rack bar maintained by ananti-friction device 36, in contact with pmions 37 secured upon theshaft 38 which is journaled upon the bracket 33. Since the frame is thusconnected to the shaft 38, by means of the rack bars 34: and pinions 38,it will ,be obvious that the frame 28, cannot be obliquely tilted aboutthe pivots 29, and that the frame may only have a vertical oscillationabout the pivot.

In order to enable the harvester to be operated upon rolling ground, Ihave rovided at the left han side, a bearin -w ee 39. This bearing-wheelis adapte to be adjusted vertically with relation to the main frame 2 sothat the body of the machine may be maintained in a plane when thebearing traction member 25 1S traveling upon a hillside, and at whichtime the bearing-wheel 39 would either be below or above the bottomsurface of the traction member 25.

If some means were not provided whereby the normal horizontal level ofthe harvester could be maintained, the thresher and separator machinerywould soon become inoperative by reason of the falling down to the lowerside of the harvester of the incoming grain and straw. For this reason Ihave provided means whereby the wheel 39 may be adjusted relatively toand independently of the traction member 25. A very simple means forencompassing this adjustment is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and whichcomprises a transverse shaft 40 journaled upon the main frame 2 andhaving an oti'set or crank 41 upon which the wheel 39 is mounted.

Secured adjacent to the crank 41, and disposed concentrically with theshaft 40, is a short segmental rack 42 adapted to be engaged andoscillated by the worm 43, turned upon shaft all, and which shafthassecured to its upper end a hand-wheel 45.

The shaft 44 is journaled in any convenient position upon the main frame2, and by manipulating the handle 45, the rack 42 will elevate ordepress the crank 41, in accordance with the incline of the surface uponwhich the machine may be working, and consequently level the body of themachine. Obviously, any suitable headerframe, such for instance as shownin the dotted lines -16, may be connected as by ivots 46' to the frame2, and which headerframe will carry the usual draper and sickle notnecessary here to be illustrated.

It will be understood that the location of the traveling traction beltbetween the se arator frame and the header frame of t is machine, moreequally divides the side strains, and provides a more direct and eventractive effort; it applies the greatest weight of both frames upon thistraction member,

and insures the best adhesion to the ground and the best traction; itallows a sufiicient space for the sprin and the rack and pin ion and idemec ianisrn of thefront end of the be t frame; it in turning to the leftmakes it easy to turn about the single wheel 39 as a pivot.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters 'Pateat is- 1. A combined header and separator, the header framebeing hinged to the outside of the se arator frame, said machineincluding a sing e flexible, endless, traveling, traction memberdisposed longitudinally and subsubstantially horizontal gives a leveragewhich,.

stantially between the adjacent sides of the two frames, and anadjustable bearing wheel journaled upon the other side of the separatorframe.

:2. A combined header and separator the header framebeing hinged to theseparator frame, said machine including an endless flexible travelingsupport between the frames and an adjustable bearing wheel journaledupon the opposite side of the separator frame.

3. A combined header and separator, the header frame being hinged to theseparator frame said machine including an endless travelin supportbetween the frames, an adjustalile bearin wheel at the opposite side ofthe separator rame, and steering wheels at the front of the separatorframe, said wheels reventin side twisting strains upon the endlessflexib e su )port.

4. A combined header and. separator, the header frame being hinged tothe separator frame, said machine includin an endless flexible travelingsupport between the frames, steering wheels in front of the separatorframe, a crank shaft u )on the separator frame opposite to the endlesssupport, a segmental rack fixed to the crank end, a vertical shafthaving a worm engaging the rack and a bearing wheel u )011 thecrank-end.

5. A combined heat er and separator, the header frame being hinged tothe separator frame said machine including an endless flexible travelingsupport between the frames, a frame for said support steering wheels infront, and a bearin wheel opposite to the flexible support, said supportframe being hinged near one end and having yielding springs near theother end, and means to guide and prevent twisting of the frame.

6. A combined header and separator, the header frame being hinged to theseparator frame said machine includin an endless flexible travelingsupport etween the frames, :1 frame for sald support steering wheels infront, a bearing wheel on the separator frame opposite the endlesssupport, said su ort frame being hinged near one end, and liaving anelastic cushionin device near the other end, rack bars exten mg upswardly at each side of the flexible support, a horizontal shaftjournaled in the separator frame, pinions fixed to saidshaflr andengaging the rack bars whereby the endless support and frame areprevented from twistin testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN HOLT. lVitnesses Gao. H. Smoxo, DAN Ni GILMORE.

